A Time For Grace
by a novelist
Summary: In the midst of a divorce brought on by lost love and betrayal, Beck and Tori must find a way to set aside their differences for the sake of their young daughter. Can they find the gift of grace despite their past mistakes?


A note to my followers: No, I haven't been converted to another character pairing. :) I'm still a strong supporter of Beck and Tori. I merely decided to write outside my comfort zone - and definitely accomplished that.

The story itself turned out quite...interesting. But in my defense, I'm having a little trouble getting into my writing, and I'm slowly trying to get out of that mindset by forcing myself to write. Here's the outcome.

Enjoy!

* * *

"Mommy, don't let go."

A young woman of twenty-one tightened her grip on the little girl dangling from the monkey bars. She smiled softly. "I won't, baby. Just keep going."

A tiny, trembling hand reached out and grasped the next bar, but slipped. Gabriella's mother caught her before she could hit the ground.

"Ooh, so close." Tori scooped her daughter up in her arms and brushed her lips against her forehead gently. "Maybe next time." She glanced up over her daughter's head. "Daddy's here now."

Excitedly, the little girl turned around. Her dark eyes grew large and a grin crossed her face as she took off running toward her father. "Daddy!" She leapt into his arms. "Daddy, you're here!"

"And only an hour late, too," Tori smirked.

Beck ignored the comment. He managed a grin. "Hey, Gabby." He kissed her gently. "I've missed you so much. Are you ready to go?"

Gabriella nodded vigorously. "Can we still go to the zoo like you promised, Daddy?"

"Of course. Go get your stuff from Mommy's car and we'll go."

As she ran toward the car, Beck turned to his wife. He opened his mouth to explain, but Tori cut him off. "Don't bother. You're here now and that's all that matters." She nodded toward the car. "I've got something for you. Come here."

As they approached the car, they saw two little legs sticking out as Gabriella dug through her belongings. A moment later, she hopped out of the car, her arms full of stuffed animals. She grinned at her father. "I'm ready, Daddy!"

He laughed. "Great," he said. "Go on to the car. Jade will help you load your stuff." He turned back to Tori. "You said you have something for me?"

"Yeah." She opened the glove box and removed a manila envelope, thick with papers. "Sign these and bring them to court with you on Tuesday. Both the divorce papers and the paperwork for custody of Gabby is there. Don't be late, or I'll be suing for a lot more than custody of our daughter." She slammed the door shut. "And tell your slutty _girlfriend_," she spat, "to stop giving my child – "

"_Our_ child –"

"Sweets right before bed. It's affecting her sleeping habits."

"Fine." He sighed. "Anything else?"

She shook her head. "Not really." She crossed her arms and shrugged. "Her luggage is in the back, if you want to grab it. Otherwise, I've got somewhere to be, if you don't mind."

"Fine by…" he trailed off as Gabriella suddenly strode past her parents, her head held high with confidence as she marched toward the towering trees just beyond the playground.

Beck quickly bent down and scooped her up. "Hey, where are you off to, little one?"

"Mama told me to take a hike," she answered. "Do you want to come, too?"

Tori glared at Beck, who cleared his throat uncomfortably. "No, baby, I don't." He gently brushed a lock of dark hair from her eyes. "Why don't you go get back in the car and I'll have a talk with Jade in a minute, all right?"

"'Kay!"

Gabriella was barely out of earshot before her mother said, "You know that I hate it when she calls her 'Mama,' or any other form of the word, for that matter."

Beck scoffed. "She tells her to take a hike and that's all you're upset about right now?" He picked up the suitcase. "I'll see you Tuesday. Goodbye."

* * *

Half an hour later, clad in a short black dress and matching stiletto heels, Tori stepped into_ Mi Amore,_ an Italian restaurant downtown Los Angeles. A young man waiting at the door greeted her with a smile. "Good evening, Mademoiselle. How many this evening?"

"Two." She glanced around the restaurant. "My date should be here, actually. Last name Harris."

He glanced at a sheet of paper, scanning the list of names. He nodded curtly. "Yes. Follow me, please."

She followed the man through the restaurant. Andre was seated at a table near the back. A lone, lit candle was placed in the center of the table, and a bottle of wine sat beside it. As she approached the table, Andre stood. "You're here. Great."

The other man pulled her chair out. Tori nodded her thanks before turning back to her date. "Yeah. Sorry I'm late." She sighed, placing her napkin in her lap and lightly pushing her silverware aside. "You can blame Beck for that."

"No problem. I already ordered for us. The usual, right?"

She nodded wordlessly in response, her mind elsewhere.

He poured her a glass of wine. "You look great, by the way."

She smiled. "Thanks. You don't look too bad yourself." She sighed. "I can't wait until this divorce is over with. It seems like it's being dragged out, which is driving me crazy. And then there's us. We can't really do anything until this divorce is finalized."

He shrugged as he took a sip of wine. "We could. I mean, Beck hooked up with Jade while you were still married. Granted, you were separated, but married, nonetheless."

"And technically, we hooked up, too. Beck just had the decency to admit to having an affair – something I'm not planning on doing anytime soon."

"See? Why can't we go further than simple dating?"

She sighed. "Because as of now, I've got an advantage over him. He's got a live-in girlfriend at an apartment in one of the worst parts of town. I'm living as a single parent, and, as far as he knows, I'm not seeing anyone. I've got a great job that's well-paying…" she shrugged. "In the eyes of a judge, there's a good chance the living conditions here are much better than those at their place." She took a long drink of her wine. "Until this custody battle is worked out, I'm not going to risk it."

Before he could respond, their waiter approached the table with their food.

Andre unwrapped his silverware from the maroon-colored cloth napkin. He smiled softly. "Let's just forget about it, just for tonight." He squeezed her hand gently. "It'll be okay. I promise."

She managed a weak smile in response, yet she knew deep down inside of her that this fight between her and her soon-to-be ex-husband was far from over, and in no way would it end well.

* * *

"Ooh, Daddy, look at the baby goats!" Gabriella tugged at her father's hand. "And the bunnies! Look at the bunnies! Daddy, can I pet them?"

Beck smiled. "Of course, hon. Go ahead."

Trailing a few steps behind them, Jade groaned. "'Daddy, can I do this?'" she mimicked. "'Daddy, can I pet him? Daddy, what's this?' I swear, that kid is going to drive me _nuts_. Shut her up, please."

Beck glared. "You could've stayed at home." He hurried to catch up with Gabriella, who had scurried away from them as she tried to catch one of the tiny rabbits.

"Yeah, well, let's just get this over with. How much more is there to see?"

"Not much more. We'll be out of here soon. I promise."

Jade sighed heavily, but said nothing. Instead, she walked away from him and took a seat on a nearby bench.

Beck knelt beside his daughter, who, unable to catch the rabbit, had settled for caring for a lamb. The small creature had settled down beside Gabriella. Its head rested gently in the little girl's lap. Beck watched with a smile as she carefully stroked the animal.

Gabriella tilted her head thoughtfully. "Daddy?"

"Hmm?"

She glanced up at him with her mother's eyes. "Can Mommy come with us next time? She loves the zoo, too." Again, her eyes grew large in excitement. "And maybe we can pet the bunnies then, too. Can we ask her, Daddy?"

As she turned back to the lamb, tears sprang to Beck's eyes. His heart ached as he realized everything he had given up the moment he asked for a divorce.

Gently, he planted a kiss on top of her head. "Not this time, baby," he whispered. He blinked back the hot tears pooling in his eyes. He kissed her again, then softly said, "Come on. Let's go home."

* * *

Three nights later, sometime late, something brought Tori out of her deep slumber. Groaning, she turned over in bed and glanced at the clock. Glowing red numbers glared back at her. It was just past midnight.

She slowly sat up in bed and wearily rubbed her eyes. She crawled out of bed and left the bedroom. She entered her daughter's room, and for a moment, she stood there in the doorway, taking everything in.

A hot pink bedspread covered the bed. Stuffed animals were scattered around the room. A dresser stood tall against one of the walls, its multi-colored drawers not entirely closed, but instead held open by articles of clothing that had been crammed into the drawers.

But the most saddening thing of all was what was on top of the dresser.

Tori walked over to the dresser and picked up a picture frame. Inside it was a smiling family of three – a mother, a father, and their beautiful daughter.

She sighed, her heart heavy as she gently kissed the tip of fingers, then pressed them against the photo. "You don't deserve this," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."

Silence followed her statement. She walked over to the bed and took a seat, the picture still in her hand. As she studied the picture carefully, memories flooded her mind. As she took in her husband's smile and his dark, loving eyes, she saw the man he once was, not who is now. She knew then that that man was still in him somewhere, just waiting to be brought back out.

Through blinding tears, she stood and felt her way over to the dresser again. She set the photo back on the dresser and finally, for the first time in weeks, let the tears fall as she, too, realized everything she was giving up.

Everything would change.

She curled up on her daughter's bed that night and held one of the little girl's favorite toys close. She closed her eyes and didn't bother fighting back the tears, but instead let them flow freely down her cheeks.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Early the next morning, Tori sat alone at a back booth at her favorite café. A cup of steaming coffee and a blueberry muffin sat untouched in front of her. She tapped her fingers on the white table top impatiently as she once again glanced out the window, waiting for Andre's truck to pull into the parking lot.

The waitress approached her again, her smile a bit more forced this time, but bright, nonetheless. "Are you sure I can't get you something else?"

Tori shook her head, her eyes still on the parking lot. "No. No, not now, thank you."

As the woman stepped away from the table, Tori anxiously glanced first at her watch, then at the window again. "Come on, where are you?" she muttered.

Finally, she saw him. A white truck with multiple dents and mud-caked tires parked just outside the diner. A moment later, Tori heard the bell hanging above the door chime softly as Andre walked in. He smiled at the hostess briefly before making his way to Tori's table. He slid into the seat across from her. His face was grim, but he managed to force a smile as he said, "You wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes." She inhaled deeply before continuing. "I – I'm sorry. I'll say that right now. I'm so sorry, but…I just…" she sighed heavily. "God, this is hard."

Andre leaned back in his seat. "Just say it," he said gently. He reached across the table and took her hand for what he knew would be the last time. His fingers tightened over hers. "You'll feel so much better if you just get it out. Say it."

She nodded, and for the first time, her glassy eyes met his brown ones steadily. "I can't do this anymore. _We_ can't do this anymore. It isn't fair to Gabby. It isn't even fair to Beck. I – I'm sorry."

He smiled sadly. "I understand," he said. He kissed her hand gently before releasing it. "Honestly, I had a feeling we'd be having this conversation very soon. It's obvious that you've still got feelings for Beck." He sighed. "You should talk to Beck. Let him know how you feel. Maybe – just maybe – you can work this out." He shrugged. "You know, for Gabby's sake."

She only smiled softly in response. "If only it were that easy."

* * *

She arrived at court nearly twenty minutes early. The courthouse was quiet, calm, and oddly peaceful. She took a seat on a firm, wooden bench just outside the courtroom. She rested her head on the wall behind her and closed her eyes, desperately trying to sort out her scattered thoughts. But suddenly, a loud, excited voice broke through them.

"Mommy!"

Quickly, Tori looked up. A slow grin crossed her face as she watched her daughter break away from Beck and run toward her. Within moments, she was holding her baby girl in her arms again. It felt wonderful.

"Mommy, guess what we saw. We saw goats and giraffes and zebras and bunnies! Ooh, the bunnies were my favorite. I wish you'd been there, too. Why weren't you there, too?"

She kissed her gently. "Maybe next time, sweetie, but it sounds like you had a lot of fun." She looked up at Beck. "Thanks for taking her to the zoo. She's been dying to go there for weeks, but I just haven't had much time."

He smiled softly. "It was nothing, really. We had a great time." He cleared his throat. "Gabby, why don't you go check out that fountain over there? And here." He reached into his pocket and pulled out several coins. He pressed them into his daughter's outstretched hand. "If you make a wish, and think it really, really hard before you throw a coin into the fountain, it might just come true."

Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Really?" When he nodded in response, she wasted no time in turning and sprinting toward the fountain.

Beck laughed. "Ah, to be young again."

"It would be nice," Tori agreed with a smile. Then, she grew serious. "Beck, I really need to talk to you. It's pretty important."

"Sure." He took a seat on a bench across from her. "What's up?"

She took a deep breath. "Will you promise to listen to everything before you completely lose it?"

He clearly tensed, but after a moment's hesitation, answered, "Yes."

She told him everything. And as promised, he listened to every word. By the end of her story, she was in tears again, and he was clearly in shock.

Beck leaned back slowly, trying to take everything in. "Wow," he said finally. "I – I had no idea that the two of you…wow."

She looked down at her hands, avoiding his eyes. Her newly bare ring finger glared back at her. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry. And you have every right to be mad, but Gabby means the world to me. You've got to believe me. I couldn't keep this a secret any longer. It just wasn't fair to her or to you." She buried her face in her hands. "I'm such a terrible mother."

"No, you're not." Beck knelt in front of her. Grasping her wrists, he gently pried them away from her face. "Tori, look at me. No one – and I do mean no one – is perfect. Everyone is going to screw up sometime in their life. And if you're a bad mother for having an affair, what does that make me? I did the _same exact thing_ with another woman." He squeezed her hand gently. "We married really young. We drifted apart. There's no denying that. But a failed marriage doesn't mean you've failed as a parent. Not at all. And you've got to realize that Gabby is going love you unconditionally, just as you love her. Nothing will ever change that."

She gave him a watery smile in response.

He hesitated a moment, then gently caressed her cheek. Her heart skipped a beat when he gave her his familiar, soft, caring smile. "Do you feel better?"

She nodded. "I do."

"Good."

For the longest time, silence fell between them. The only other noise came from their daughter as she slapped at the still water in the fountain, causing it to splash out of the fountain and cover the sleek tile floor. The young parents were too distracted to scold the child.

Beck laughed suddenly. "I must say, you just made it a lot harder for me to go in there and say what a terrible parent you'd make for Gabby if you were granted full custody of her."

Tori released a short laugh herself. "Same here." She glanced up at the clock. "But I guess it's that time, ready or not." She stood and started for the door. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." He followed her, and even held the door for her. But before going in, she paused and turned back to him. "Beck?"

"Yeah?"

She looked up at him. "Thank you. Thank you for…for everything."

He smiled softly. "Anytime."


End file.
